$10M bail for man charged in slaying of 3-year-old

A judge set bail at $10 million during an emotional hearing Sunday at Cook County Bond Court for a man accused of killing a 3-year-old girl in southwest suburban Oak Forest.

After Judge James Brown set bail for Jessie B. Rodriguez, a man sitting in the courtroom stood up and started yelling and cursing. "There should be no bail!" he said.

Cook County sheriff's deputies told the man to leave, but he continued to yell, saying the 3-year-old was "my baby." Four deputy officers jumped on the man and held him to the floor as he cried loudly. The deputies then cleared the courtroom for about 10 minutes.

Rodriguez, 43, of the 2900 block of North Kenneth Avenue in Chicago, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Gina Presley.

Sometime in December 2012, Rodriguez began dating the victim's aunt, who had been the baby's caregiver since the child was 6 months old, Assistant State's Attorney Christina Kye said. Rodriguez then moved in with them in the 15300 block of Walnut Road in Oak Forest, she added.

At some point, other family members noticed that Rodriguez was controlling and saw bruising on Gina's body as well as changes in her personality and behavior, Kye said.

On March 26, Gina's aunt went to work and left the toddler with Rodriguez. Sometime after she returned, Rodriguez told her the baby had been choking. When paramedics arrived, they found the child unresponsive, Kye said.

The toddler was pronounced dead at 12:15 a.m. March 27 at Palos Community Hospital. An autopsy found Gina died of blunt force trauma to the head, Kye said.

Along with vomit all over the room, Gina had a large bruise on her face and investigators discovered that she had been dead for a while, Kye said.

Another person who was questioned in the child's death has been released and is cooperating with authorities, according to a statement from Oak Forest Police.

People associated with Gina were cooperating to determine what happened, Oak Forest Police Chief Gregory Anderson said in the statement.

"When you see a child lose their life, it affects everyone. Not only the family, it affects the whole community. This is a horrific crime on the most innocent of victims," Anderson said.

Rodriguez was convicted in 1991 for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and in 1992 for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, prosecutors said.

Kye asked Brown for a high bail, saying Rodriguez was "placed in a position of power and trust."

The man who screamed during the hearing was later released and walked out of the courtroom. He did not identify himself and did not speak with reporters after he left the courtroom. Another man who was with him declined to speak.

Brown ordered Rodriguez to surrender his passport and any weapons. He is scheduled to appear in court April 2.